Dr. Erika Moore is an Assistant Professor in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering at the University of Maryland, where her lab is committed to engineering biomaterial models that harness the regenerative potential of the immune system. She talks about building biomaterials, rejuvenating macrophages, and treating lupus. She also discusses using the right cells in research and promoting financial literacy to make science careers more accessible.

Heart Failure – Bone marrow can carry an innate immune memory of cardiac stress that may exacerbate heart failure.

Epstein Barr and B Cells – Virus-orchestrated NAD biosynthesis is a druggable metabolic vulnerability of Epstein Barr virus-driven B cell transformations.

Microbiome Modulation in Pregnancy – Bacterial conversion of corticoids into progestins may affect host physiology, particularly in the context of pregnancy.

The Circadian Rhythm and Tumor Immunosuppression – Circadian gating of tumor immunosuppression informs the timing and efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Image courtesy of Dr. Erika Moore

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Dr. Kellen Cavagnero is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, San Diego.  His PhD work focused on how fibroblasts — a cell type thought to be immunologically inert — contribute to chronic inflammatory conditions and defense against pathogens. He talks about staph infections, antimicrobial resistance, and the types and roles of fibroblasts. He also discusses his work in science communication, including his podcast, Inflammatory Content.

Malaria Immunity – Scientists leveraged a human malaria infection study to investigate functional correlates of immunity.

CAR T Therapy for HIV – Anti-HIV-1 CAR-T cells armed with endogenic broadly neutralizing antibodies resulted in significant suppression of viral rebound in HIV patients.

Immunogenic Cell Death – Researchers generated a small-molecule proteolysis-targeting chimera that selectively degraded human and murine RIPK1.

Origins of Autoimmunity – NUDCD3 is required for healthy T and B cell development in humans.

Image courtesy of Dr. Kellen Cavagnero

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In May 2024, we attended IMMUNOLOGY2024, the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists, in Chicago. We spoke with delegates about their research and impressions of the meeting, including their reasons for attending and the most memorable research presented.

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Dr. Jo Viney is the CEO, President, & Co-Founder and Dr. Ryan Peckner is the Director of Machine Learning & Computational Biology at Seismic Therapeutic. In this special episode recorded in front of a live audience at IMMUNOLOGY2024 in Chicago, they discuss artificial intelligence and its applications in drug discovery and protein engineering. They talk about its limitations, its role in clinical trials, and how scientists can leverage these tools to advance their careers.

Images courtesy of Drs. Jo Viney and Ryan Peckner

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In May 2024, we attended IMMUNOLOGY2024, the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists in Chicago, and recorded daily episodes discussing highlights of the previous 24 hours. Here is the final of five special episodes from the meeting, where Brenda and Jason talk about sessions including the dysfunction of exhaustive T cells enforced by MCT11-mediated lactate metabolism and extrafollicular differentiated B cells, presented by former podcast guest Dr. Frances Lund.

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In May 2024, we attended IMMUNOLOGY2024, the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists in Chicago, and recorded daily episodes discussing highlights of the previous 24 hours. Here is the fourth of five special episodes from the meeting, where Brenda and Jason highlight discussions on tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy, chaired by former podcast guest Dr. Kristin Anderson, as well as fueling T cell fate decision during infection with an initial focus on immunometabolism.

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In May 2024, we attended IMMUNOLOGY2024, the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists in Chicago, and recorded daily episodes discussing highlights of the previous 24 hours. Here is the third of five special episodes from the meeting. Brenda and Jason spotlight discussions on cellular responses of microbial and parasitic infection and the immunology of pregnancy with a focus on glycan regulation of fetomaternal tolerance.

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In May 2024, we attended IMMUNOLOGY2024, the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists in Chicago, and recorded daily episodes discussing highlights of the previous 24 hours. Here is the second of five special episodes from the meeting. Brenda and Jason discuss highlights from sessions including microbial and environmental influences on the gut and recent breakthroughs in emerging therapeutic strategies for chronic inflammatory and fibrotic diseases.

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In May 2024, we attended IMMUNOLOGY2024, the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists in Chicago, and recorded daily episodes discussing highlights of the previous 24 hours. Here is the first of five special episodes from the meeting, in which Jason and Brenda highlight sessions on innate and innate-like cells and transplant immunology. Discussions include the role of hypothermia in protecting ventilator-induced lung damage and Siglec-E knockout in transplant rejection.

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Dr. Caleb Lareau is an Assistant Professor at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. His lab aims to understand how cells in our bodies adapt, expand, and evolve during the course of our lives, particularly in the immune system. He talks about cross-training in bioinformatics and immunology, and herpesvirus reactivation in CAR T cells.

Blocking Lung Injury in Influenza – Scientists developed an inhibitor to block necroptosis in severe influenza infections.

Germinal Center Memory B Cells – IL-4 signaling can regulate memory B cell selection.

Intestinal Barrier Defence – Citrobacter rodentium targets a subset of absorptive intestinal epithelial cells in the mid–distal colon, which stimulate T cells to produce sustained IL-22 signals to mitigate further spread of the pathogen.

Fast-Acting Glucocorticoids – The anti-inflammatory properties of glucocorticoids involve reprogramming of the mitochondrial metabolism of macrophages.

Image courtesy of Dr. Caleb Lareau

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